Oven for treating vehicle bodies



June'fl,y M25. 1,542,145

l'\.I A, KAUFFMAN OVEN FOR TREATING VEHICLE BODIES Filed April :50, 19232 Sheets-Sheet l il \\wm i nj, gi

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June 16, 1925.

f R. A. KAUFFMAN OVEN FOR TREATING VEHICLE BODIES N I a i mvENToR FiledApril "so, 192:5l 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED sTATEs l 1,542,145 PATENT OFFICE'.

RALPH A. KAUFFMAN, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

OVEN' FOR TREATING VEHICLE BODIES.

Application lcd .April 30, 1923. Serial' No. 635,806.

, ments in Ovens for Treating Vehicle Bodies,

of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in theconstruction of ovens employed in buildings wherein vehicle bodies arepainted; it being the principal object of the invention to provide anoven with particular regard to the open spaces and rooms 'of a buildingwheren dismantling, priming, surfacing, paintingand varnishing'may bedone and wherein the ovens are provided for drying the bodies; thespaces and ovens being so located, with respect to each other, that thevehicles may be advanced progressively through they building andfinishing done in a minimum v amount of time with no confusion and in anordinary and systematic manner.

Another object of the invention resides in the details of constructionof the ovens and in the provision of heating units and air circulatingdevices whereby heat will be applied evenly to all parts of a vehicle.

Other objects of the invention reside in the relative location of theopen spaces, ovens and passages which permits a vehicle to be advancedrogressively through the different steps of) the system and paintingcompleted in the shortest time possible.

In accomplishing these objects. of the invention, I have provided theimproved details of construction, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanyin drawing, whereinigure 1 is a plan view ofa building wherein a method of the above mentioned character may becarried out.

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional` view through one of the drying ovens.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 in Figure 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- In Figure 1 I have shown aplan view of a building wherein my method of painting vehicles may beeffectively carried out; the building preferably to be of rectangularform and is provided at the front end with an opening 1 through whichvehicles may enter and leave, and which leads into a comparatively largerpom 2 whereinfstripping or dismantling of the vehicles is donepreparatory to painting. This room extends lengthwise of the buildingand is bounded by partition walls 3", 4 and 5; the walls 3 and 4 beingarranged parallel with the outer side walls of the'building and the wall5 is parallel with its rear end wall, and all are 'spaced sufiicientlyfrom the building walls so as to provide for the progress andadvancement of vehicles, as presently described about the outsidepassage thus provided.

When a vehicle is taken into' the building to be painted, it is mountedon rollers and the body stripped of exposed parts not to be paintedWhile in the room 2. It is then advanced through an opening 6 in wall 3near the front of the building into an open space 7 where the firstpriming coat is applied. It is then advanced rearwardly of the buildinginto an oven 8 where this coat is dried the proper length of time, andis then again advanced rearwardly into an open space 9 where the firstfiller coat is applied, after which it is moved into an oven 10 and thefiller is dried. The vehicle is then removed from the oven into an openspace 11 where a second priming coat is added, then again moved to anoven l2 where this is dried, after which it is removed into an openspace 13 where sanding and surfacing is done.

It is my intention to make the ovens and spaces between them of suchdimensions that each will accommodate a certain spaced number ofvehicles, which will insure that the work can be carried on continuouslyin each point without any delay on account ot' congestion of any of thedifferent stations, and it has been found that the work may be carriedon tothe best possible advantage in a building of the proportionsillustrated, and wherein the advance ovens and rooms are adapted toaccommodate the number of vehicles which I have indicated in each.

At the rear end of the building is an open space 14: suitable for twovehicles at a time where the first coat of color varnish is applied andfrom which the vehicle may be advanced directly for drying into an oven15 located centrally at the rear of the building, after which they areadvanced from the oven into a space 16 where a second coat is appliedand are then moved into an oven 17 located in the corner of `thebuilding where this coat may be dried- From this oven 17 the cars aremoved forwardly into an open space 18 for rubbing and varnishing andthen advanced and dried in an oven 19 from which they are moved into anopen space 20 suitable for six vehicles for the final finishing, and arethen advanced three at a time into an oven 2l for the final baking anddrying operation. After this they are advanced into a room 22 parallelwith room 2 and of the same length where the final assembling is done.

It will be observed that I have left passageways, as at 23, between theovens and partition walls, and have provided'openings at desirablepoints in the partitions so that all points or stations may be reachedconveniently and the Work carried on to the best possible advantage.Itrwill be also noted that I have provided windows in the outer Wallsfor an abundance of light where it isneeded, and Ventilating fans, asindicated at 24, in Figure 4, are provided for causing a circulation ofair. Suitable skylights and ventilators, not shown, lnay also beprovided in the roof of the building for bettering the workingconditions.

Since it is desired to dry `liller varnish and paint coats that areapplied'to the vehicles, in the shortest time possible and to dry thesecoats evenly on the under sides as well as the top surfaces, I haveprovided improved means in each oven whereby this may be accomplished;each oven is provided wit a ceiling wall 25 that is spaced somewhat fromthe roof of the building, and located centrally above the oven in theroof is a ventilated cupilo 26 where a blower fan 27 is mounted andoperated by an electric motor 27 to force air through the passageWay 28provided between the roof and ceiling into air passages 29 leadingdownwardly at opposite ends of the oven to be heated by electric' unitsindicated at 30 and discharged into the oven. In the ioor of each ovenis an air outlet 3l that leads along the floor to the exterior of thebuilding.

With this arrangement, heated air will be caused to circulate entirelyabout, over and under the vehicles and all parts will be quickly andevenly dried.

The ovens may be provided with doors of any desirable type, with rollingor sliding, so long as the can be easily operated and will be air tig t.

With the building so arranged, it will be seen that it is possible toadvance vehicles successively and continuousl through the advance stepsrequired, and t at by providing suticient workmen for the advancestations, there will be no need of delaying at any point. Such a methodinsures quick and satisfactory results.

It is further apparentrthat buildings of this type could be constructedin advance sizes according to the capacity desired, and that the plancouldV be altered to some eX- tent without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. For this reason I do not wish to be limited only to thedetails herein illustrated and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a building of the class described, a drying oven having an airinlet at the top and an outlet located centrally in the floor thereofwith means for forcibly delivering air through the top opening toopposite ends of the oven and means for heating the air as delivered.

.2.- In a building of the class described, a passage along whichvehicles may be successively advanced and ovens located in said passage,each having opposite side openings through which said vehicles may 4passand provided centrally at the .top and floor with air inlet and outletopenings, with channels leading from said inlet to oppositeends of theoven, a blower located in the inlet and heating means located at thedischarge ends of the channels.

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington, this 9th day of February,1923.l

RALPH A. KAUFFMAN.

